From “Cherry Queens” to Caring Queens

Graziano decided to run for Cherry Queen during her final year of nursing school. “I was in my final semester and said, ‘I’m doing it. I’m putting everything into running.’ And I knew that if I was going to have the job as queen, I needed to be able to represent everybody in the best way that I could. So, I actually went to farms and learned the most I could to advocate for our farmers and be an ambassador for the Cherry Festival.” 

Financially, the festival scholarship also played a huge part in helping bring Pung and Graziano to Munson’s nursing team. “I was able to put myself through nursing school without debt—that would not have been possible without the National Cherry Queen Program,” Pung says. Graziano agrees. “Being Cherry Queen was truly a cherry on top, because it paved the way for me to graduate debt free.” 

Additionally, serving as Cherry Queen helped to build skills essential for nursing. “I can talk with almost anyone, and in healthcare, that's crucial to be able to help people understand their situation, understand their medication, and what follow-up means,” Pung explains. “I can confidently do that in my role because that whole year as Cherry Queen, that’s what you’re thrown into." 

Graziano agrees that the ability to connect with people in different circumstances is a key takeaway from her reign as Cherry Queen. “As a nurse, you never know what you’re walking into. And as a Cherry Queen, you never really knew either,” she adds. “I am a NICU nurse, so my patients don’t speak. But learning to walk in and be able to communicate with parents of all different walks of life ... that’s huge. And knowing how to make them feel at ease.” 

Understandably, both queens strongly recommend participating in the Cherry Queen program. “It's a really cool opportunity in our community, and I think, especially for young girls going into nursing, they should consider the chance to run,” Graziano says. “It opens doors for you that wouldn't be opened otherwise, and it is doable to go to nursing school and balance clinicals and even work as an aide. You can do it all!”   

Pung's perspective is similar. She feels that inspiring the next generation of nurses was the best part of her Cherry Queen reign. “I was at the Alpenfest parade and there was this little girl—probably five or six—and she said, ‘I just want to be like you when I grow up, but I won't be able to.’ I was able to say, ‘None of that matters, you can be exactly who you want to be, and I'm going to be so proud of you when you accomplish those goals.’ And to see her face light up and her demeanor completely change... those are the moments that I still carry with me.” 

To date, no patients have recognized that they were being taken care of by a former Cherry Queen, but Graziano does sneak in some references to her reign from time to time. “It only comes up when I put babies in full-blown cherry outfits. The parents say, ‘Wow, you must really love cherries!’ And I respond, ‘Oh boy, you wouldn’t believe it.’” Similarly, Pung remains an advocate for cherries and especially their healing powers. “I tell people who have gout, 'You should get tart cherries, there are capsules for it, there are shots'—and people look at me like I’m crazy. My coworkers usually make comments like, ‘Danielle, not everything has to be about cherries.’”